Barbaresco 2020: Vintage report & 50 wines tasted

Clear skies, crystal-clear rivers and clean air: the 2020 vintage started while the world was in lockdown. Going to work in the vineyards was one of the few permissible activities at the time (lucky vignaioli!).

The most genuine producers confess to having taken extraordinarily good care of their vines during the Covid pandemic like never before. No fairs, no visiting importers, no tastings.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Barbaresco 2020 wines

Barbaresco 2020 vintage rating: 4/5

‘Given its more approachable style, it is not likely to be a favourite vintage among classic Barbaresco lovers… But in the best examples there is volume, lushness and balance’

Having tasted more than 70 wines during Nebbiolo Prima in Alba at the end of January 2023, it appears that 2020 is a very round vintage. Was this down to increased care in the vines, or a more favourable climate? A legitimate question.

‘However favourable the 2020 vintage may turn out to be – and as time goes on, we’ll seek to assess that – it seems likely that 20 years from now the vintage will be remembered not so much for the quality of the wines but rather for the Covid-19 epidemic,’ wrote Alessandro Masnaghetti, aka Mapman, in his detailed vintage report.

The growing season

2020 doesn’t have a single, identifiable detail that characterises the vintage. Rainfall was abundant and quite spread out over the season, which was generally humid.

The temperatures were high as well, certainly warm enough to consider the vintage as being hot. While it didn’t come close to the record heat in 2003, it was similar to 2017 ‘with significant peaks of heat between the end of July and early August,’ explains Masnaghetti.

The maturity of the grapes was impressive and the tannins almost always very refined. Given its more approachable style, it is not likely to be a favourite vintage among classic Barbaresco lovers, thus why it deserves a rating of four out of five.

But in my opinion, this ready-to-drink style should be seen in a positive light. In the best examples there is volume, lushness and balance. It’s difficult to presume a shorter window of ageability considering the balance and the quality of the tannins.

Coming soon: Barbaresco Riserva 2018

As Angelo Gaja often reminds us, in modern vintages there is increased quality and maturity of the tannins at the expense of lower acidity.

All in all, 2020 was a very good vintage, particularly considering the dry 2017, the dilute 2018 and an unassuming 2019 in Barbaresco (compared to Barolo) which was affected by a hailstorm.

The numbers say so too. Barbaresco production in 2020 increased from 4,915,000 bottles in 2019 to 5,128,000 and is currently experiencing solid growth, according to Consorzio Albeisa’s technical manager, Emanuele Coralia.

This is not only an increase due to the vintage, but a trend for the appellation which has been expanding by 7ha every year since 2015.

See the results of the recent Barbaresco panel tasting

This new dimension of Barbaresco should be followed with attention from a commercial point of view. In fact, while 80% of the production of Barolo is exported, Barbaresco is exported at just 60% (the main markets being USA 19%, Scandinavia 10%, Germany 8.4% and UK 6.7%).

‘The lower volumes exported are due to the smaller dimension of the appellation and of the estates,’ commented Coralia. So, 2020 could be the perfect vintage for the region to explore new markets with these extremely well-crafted Barbaresco wines.

Tasting notes and scores for Aldo’s top Barbaresco 2020 wines:

The following wines all scores 93 points or above

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Aldo Fiordelli is an Italian wine critic, journalist and wine writer. He has published four books about food, wine and art and is a regular Decanter contributor.

In Italy he is an editorial board member of L’Espresso restaurant and wine guide (one of Italy’s most prominent) since 2004. He also writes for Corriere della sera in Florence, as well as Civiltà del Bere (Italy’s oldest Italian wine magazine).

A certified sommelier since 2003, he is currently a 2nd stage student at the Institute of the Masters of Wine.

In 2017 he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.

Aldo joined DWWA for the first time as a judge in 2019.

Barbaresco 2020: Vintage report & 50 wines tasted